Aphorismus ( a-phor-is’-mus): Calling into question the proper use of a word.
“No, no. You didn’t cut the cheese, you sliced it. There is a subtle difference between cutting and slicing. When slicing, you use a sharp knife and make thin slices. When cutting the cheese you are farting, and that is not associated with real cheese.“
I was lecturing to my proper speech class. None of them were native speakers of English. I continued, “When referring to a salami that is yours, make sure to point at the salami when you say my salami, so they don’t think you’re referring to what is colloquially known as your dick, pecker, hooter, etc. You may use any of these terms to refer to your penis or somebody else’s penis. The same goes for pussy—it can be a cat or a vagina, or even a coward, or a weakling.”
There is so much ambiguity in the English language, that teaching it is a real challenge—especially for the same word used in different contexts, colloquially. Take “guns,” for example. Depending on the context can it can mean pistols or breasts. There is no logical connection, and it must be worked out in the context of its use.
Figurative language, if taken literally, can be a source of misunderstanding. For example, upon hearing “she had really big guns,” the novice English speaker may imagine her holding large pistols. Although, in this case the figure is unclear. Maybe it’s just a crude metaphor where the “vehicle/tenor” connection is purely conventional and must be learned in its own right by trial and error, or being taught.
Anyway, working at “Lingua-Learning” is a real challenge. What increases the challenge, as I, A. Richards said, “Meanings are in people, not in words.”
